SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – NOVEMBER 03: Brian Johnson of AC/DC performs on stage during a media call ahead of their ‘Rock or Bust’ world tour at ANZ Stadium on November 3, 2015 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
Reports are coming out that Brian Johnson will appear on AC/DC’s upcoming studio album.
Rumors of Brian Johnson’s involvement with a new AC/DC record have been circulating for several months now. This all started when Brian Johnson and drummer Phil Rudd, along with guitarists Angus Young and Stevie Young, were spotted and photographed outside Vancouver’s Warehouse Studios.
At the time fans were speculating from the photos that AC/DC were in the middle of making — or at least planning — another album, with Rudd and Johnson both back in the band’s lineup. Reports have also indicated that Angus Young will dedicate the new AC/DC album to his late brother, Malcolm.
While AC/DC has yet to reveal any details of a new studio album, Brian Johnson apparently let the cat out of the bag recently when he ran into a band by the name of Terrorizer at an airport near his home in Sarasota, Florida.
Terrorizer is a grindcore trio, which features former Morbid Angel drummer Pete Sandoval. Terrorizer posted on their Facebook page a recap of their European tour. The Facebook post praised the other touring bands and they thanked their road crew. Also, Terrorizer added: “We ran into Brian Johnson from AC/DC at the airport today after the flight home and we asked him about the rumors of him being on the new AC/DC album and he said ‘yes’ and that he is ‘sick of denying it.’ So that was a cool surprise ending to the tour.”
If this is true, this is exciting news for all of us AC/DC fans.
The last few years have been very tough for AC/DC. Ever since the band completed their tour for its 2014 album “Rock Or Bust” more than two years ago, they lost founding member and guitarist, Malcolm Young. Plus, the departures of Brian Johnson, drummer Phil Rudd and bassist Cliff Williams. All of this combined has led fans to wonder whether the last remaining founding member Angus Young would keep the band going or decide it was time for AC/DC to call it a day.
In case you missed it, Brian Johnson was forced to leave AC/DC mid-tour due to hearing loss and was eventually replaced on the road by Guns N’ Roses frontman Axl Rose. Cliff Williams decided to retire at the end of the cycle.
Below is the Facebook post from Terrorizer.
Rock Radio Personality Eddie Trunk discussed the possibility of AC/DC touring with Brian Johnson and releasing a new studio album.
“So I have a source that will remain nameless but a very, very, well-placed, reliable source regarding AC/DC who I did run into and ask about AC/DC. This source told me to his knowledge that album is done, that they went to that studio in Canada, made this record and what people speculated on, meaning these were riffs, ideas and more of a tribute to Malcolm Young is true. Meaning that Malcolm had a bunch of stuff recorded that they worked off of and they sort of incorporated the record. So, this is sort of a unity thing to come together, put out some of Malcolm’s music and celebrate AC/DC.“
Eddie Trunk added:
“This source also told me that they don’t know what they are going to do with this record, when and how it’s going to come out and adds that as far as he was aware and he would know, there are no plans for live shows. Now that could change but there are no plans at this moment to play. However, there was a recording done and they are going to figure out what they are doing with that. So that’s all he told me. He didn’t tell me about Axl or who is on it, he just basically said: “The guys went in, they went in off of some stuff that Malcolm had, it’s a celebration of Malcolm, there is a record done, whether and how that comes out they’re not sure and whether they play or not it’s not sure.”
At this point we just have to wait and see what’s next from AC/DC.